97% of Blogs are Lacking This Important Feature - Is Yours?

It surprises me how so many great blogs exist on the web, yet so many of them are missing a crucial key that could help boost their popularity and exposure even more.  What is it?

The answer is simple - yet so often overlooked or done sloppily, almost like an afterthought to what was a well-constructed blog post or article. 

A resource box

You can put all the time, research and effort into writing a stellar blog entry, but if you’re missing a resource box - all your hard work could be for nothing.  Scroll to the bottom of this blog entry to see a resource box in use.  It immediately tells you about me and my background in web design. 

It also includes information that people can use to promote this article or link to it — a great way to add relevant, helpful content to their own blogs.

So what goes into a resource box to make it stand out? Here are a few suggestions in addition to the standard name and website link.

• Information about your background, history or company - Make it interesting and make people want to learn more by including unique facts or details.

If you’ve won awards, got a degree in your business field or have testimonials from highly-satisfied customers, don’t hesitate to show them off!

• A free report or download - People love free, especially if it has to do with the article they just finished reading.  Use this to your advantage by including a freebie in your resource box. 

Savvy marketers often do this in exchange for a person’s name and e-mail address, but people are often reluctant to give this information out to “just anyone”. 

Test giving your report or download away with and without asking for their contact information and see which gives you a better response rate.

• A trial membership or product - Right up there with free comes a trial membership or product.  You can even charge a small fee (such as $1) for the first month to your blog readers.  A surprising number of them may continue to try out your service or product even after their first month trial is over.
These are just a few of the ways you can immediately increase your blog or article readership - without costing you anything.  Use your resource box to “toot your own horn” - that’s what it’s for!  Don’t be shy - get the word out and promote yourself!

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